Cutter for batching machines



Oct. 3, 1939. ,J. M. BEICK ET AL 2,175,102

CUTTER FOR BATCHING MACHINES Filed Jan. 11, 1958 Patented Oct. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

The invention relates to cloth Winding machines known in the trade as batchers, in which means is provided for winding upon a core, drum or roll a predetermined amount or number of yards of cloth as it passes from a tentering machine.

It is well known that in machines of this general class cloth is wound onto a core and that after such core is filled or contains the predetermined desired amount another is placed in position to have the cloth wound thereupon, means being necessarily provided for severing or cutting the cloth at the conclusion of the winding upon the first core or drum. Machines of this general character and for this purpose are naturally well known and for purposes of explanation and illustration reference may be had to Patents Nos, 542,034 and 670,187 granted to William P. Simpson in 1895 and 1901, respectively. Apparently, judging from the results of an exploratory tour through numerous cloth finishing mills, the type of machine disclosed in the Simpson Patent No. 670,187 is quite popular. In said machine, the means for cutting or severing the cloth at the conclusion of winding the proper amount thereof onto a core consists of a vertically movable plate or gate slidable between certain rollers of the machine, equipped at its upper edge with a serrated blade and moved by means of clutch controlled pulleys operating to wind flexible straps connected to the blade carrying gate, the clutch mechanism being manually operated or controlled. In such machines it has been found that difficulties are encountered, particularly as the result of breaking of the straps, such mishaps obviously causing failure of the cutting mechanism.

It is with the above facts in view that we have devised the present invention which has for its object the provision of a novel cutting mechanism which may be applied not only to the types of machines shown in the above mentioned patent but to others as well, that is to say wherein there is provided a vertically movable cutting blade.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a foot lever operated cutting mechanism which may be applied to or installed upon an already existing batching or winding machine, particularly of the type disclosed in Patent No. 670,187, without involving any changes in the construction thereof other than the removal of the usual straps for lifting the blade, it being of course apparent that the improved cutting means may be built into new machines at the time of their manufacture instead of being subsequently added thereto as a replacement.

A more specificobject is to provide a foot lever blade operating means which may be made or built as a complete and separate entity and sold as an attachment to already existing batching machines, the construction and arrangement being, moreover, such that the device may be installed in a very short time and without the exercise of any particular knowledge or skill or the use of any special tools.

An additional object is to provide a mechanism of this character which will be extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture, in addition to being easy to apply and which will be efficient in action, durable in service, and a general improvement in the art.

To the attainment of the foregoing and other objects and advantages, the invention preferably consists in the details of construction and the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which: I

Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic vertical sectional View through the lower portion of a batching machine similar in most respects to what is disclosed in the Simpson Patent No. 670,187, and

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing there is disclosed, more or less diagrammatically, a portion of a cloth winding or so-called batching machine for instance of the type shown in the United States Patent No. 670,187, granted March 19, 1901, to William P. Simpson, though this showing is simply for purposes of illustration as it is readily conceivable that the invention may be applied to other machines for the same purpose, for instance United States Patent No. 542,034, granted July 2, 1895, to William P. Simpson, not to mention others which may embody different structural characteristics.

In machines of this general variety there is necessarily provided a supporting frame 5 which may consist of a single casting or which may be assembled from a number of parts appropriately secured together. Rotatably mounted in this frame are rollers 6 and 1 carried by shafts 8 and El, respectively, these rollers being usually and preferably rubber covered as indicated at 10 for the purpose of facilitating frictional engagement with the cloth wound. The roller 6 is driven, by any suitable means, not shown, and is in frictional driving engagement with a core ll onto which the cloth I2 is wound. In this type of mechanism it is known that when the desired quantity of cloth is wound upon the core II, which with its vertically slidable bearing supports [3 rises during the winding operation, means is operated to move or transfer the filled core onto the drum 1 so that an empty core may be mounted in position to replace the filled one so that the winding may continue. When and as this is done it is of course necessary to sever the cloth between the point where it passes over the roller 6 and onto the filled core II.

The usual or customary cutting means comprises a vertically slidable gate or plate 14 which moves between vertically extending guide ribs l5 on the confronting faces of the ends or sides of the frame, this gate or plate being equipped 'at its upper edge with a serrated knife blade l6 held in place in any desired manner. The first identified patent above referred to discloses a socalled wiping means for starting the severed end of the cloth onto the fresh or empty shell II. In said same patent the means for operating the cutter, that is to say for moving the plate or gate [4 upwardly, is shown as consisting of pulleys about which are trained belts or straps fastened at one end to the frame and having their other ends connected with the plate or gate Hi, there being provided a clutch mechanism which may be manually thrown into operation for rotating the pulleys and consequently moving the straps to lift the blade carrying plate or gate. This old and well known cutter operating mechanism is not illustrated in the present drawing as it forms no part of the present invention, though it should be understood that the subject matter of the present invention is applicable to such a machine by the simple expedient of removing the operating straps thereof and by replacing such with the simple mechanism constituting the basis of the present application.

In carrying out our invention we provide a bracket I1 having an attaching foot portion l8 bolted or otherwise secured onto the fioor or the base of the machine as indicated at l9. This bracket is represented as of inverted U-shape, the rear leg 20 terminating short of the floor line or machine base so as not to be in the way of the gate or plate M. It is, however, conceivable that both arms or legs of this U-shaped bracket may have the attaching portion I8. Extending through the bracket l! and pivoted thereto intermediate its ends, as shown at 2!, is a lever 22 which is pivotally and slidably connected with the plate or gate M at substantially the center thereof and near the lower edge. In the pres ent instance the end of the lever is shown as formed with an elongated slot 23 through which passes a bolt 24 extending through the plate or gate l4 and necessarily equipped with a nut 25. It is of course apparent that a rivet or other equivalent connection might be provided. The lever 22 may very conveniently be made as an elongated fiat bar as shown. Connected with the lever 22 or formed integrally therewith is an operating pedal 26 of angular shape or of offset formation so that it will clear the side frame of the machine and project forwardly and beyond one side thereof for convenient actuation by the operators foot. While this pedal 26 might be integral with the lever 22 it is here illustrated as having a downwardly extending end 27 which may be rigidly secured to the lever, as by brazing, welding or other means, or which may be rotatably adjustable within a bearing-like member 28 on the outer end of the lever 22, a desired adjusted position being maintained as by a set screw 29.

It is repeated that the lever 22 and pedal 26 may be all in one piece and formed either as a forging or a casting or may consist of parts appropriately'secured together. However, the feature of providing a rotatable adjustment of. the pedal with respect to the lever, as shown, is of considerable advantage in that it enables the cutting operating means to be applied to machines in which the side frames have their front edges projecting forwardly to different extents. To illustrate this point attention might be invited to the fact that the side frames of the machine shown in the Simpson Patent No. 542,034 project forwardly beyond the cutter carrying blade or gate to a greater extent than is the case in the machine shown in the Simpson Patent No. 670,187. Rotatable adjustability of the pedal 26 with respect to the lever 22 easily takes care of such variations and also permits the pedal to be located at a point most convenlent to the operator.

The weight of the plate or gate I4 and the I blade is sufficient to maintain the former normally in its lowermost position without it being necessary to provide any spring for maintaining such lowered position or restoring the plate or gate to such initial position after elevation thereof to sever the cloth, though if necessary a spring could easily be provided. Likewise, when the plate or gate is in its lowermost position it may rest upon the floor or base of the machine, but

if preferred there may be provided a stop 30 on one side frame engageable by the pedal 26 as shown in Figure 2 for establishing the lowermost position of the blade carrying gate.

In the use of the device, it should be underin position to replace the previously filled one II, to effect severing of the cloth between the filled core and the roller 6 it is merely necessary for the operator to depress the pedal 26, whereupon the pivotal and slidable connection between the lever 22 and gate or plate M will move the latter and the serrated blade l6 upwardly, the blade naturally cutting the cloth so that it may be started onto the new or fresh core to be filled. Just as soon as cutting is effected the operator releases his foot pressure upon the pedal 26 whereupon the gate and blade will drop gravitationally to the original or initial position ready for subsequent operation when required.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawing it will be apparent that we have thus provided a very simply constructed lever mechanism which may be attached to already existing cloth winding or batching machines without any particular degree or skill or effort and which may be just as easily built into new equipment to form an initial part thereof. It will be observed that the number of parts is very few and that the cost of production will be but slight and that there will be no likelihood of getting out of order. It is believed from the above that the construction, operation and advantages will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art with out further explanation.

While we have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that the disclosure is merely an exemplification of the principles involved as the right is reserved to make all such changes in the details of construction as will widen the field of utility and increase the adaptability of the device provided such changes constitute no departure from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

Having thus described the invention, we claim:

1. In a fabric winding machine embodying a pair of rollers arranged in spaced relation and further including means adapted to have fabric wound thereonto, means for cutting the fabric between said rollers comprising a vertically slidable support carrying a blade, a rigidly mounted bracket, an operating lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends to said bracket and slidably connected with said support, said lever being arranged in substantially parallel relation to said support, a foot pedal carried by said lever for moving the same vertically, said foot pedal being horizontally adjustable and having a portion thereof projecting beyond the confines of the machine, and means associated with said lever for maintaining said foot pedal in a predetermined position.

2. In a cloth batching machine including upstanding side frames, a pair of spaced rollers journaled therebetween, one of said rollers being driven, a core slidably mounted between the side frames and adapted to be rotated by said driven roller and adapted to have cloth wound thereonto, and a vertically slidable support located between said rollers and carrying a blade at its upper edge adapted to sever the cloth;

means for raising said support and blade to cut the cloth comprising a rigidly mounted bracket, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends upon said bracket and arranged in substantially parallel relation to said support and having one end pivotally and slidably connected with the support, and a foot pedal carried by said lever and depressible to raise the blade into severing engagement with the cloth, said foot pedal being forwardly and laterally offset to clear the side frame at one side of the machine and to project laterally therebeyond.

3. In a cloth batching machine including upstanding side frames, a pair of spaced rollers journaled therebetween, one of said rollers being driven, a core slidably mounted between the side frames and adapted to be rotated by said driven roller and adapted to have cloth wound thereonto, and a vertically slidable support located between said rollers and carrying a blade at its upper edge adapted to sever the cloth; means for raising said support and blade to cut the cloth comprising a rigidly mounted bracket, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends upon said bracket and arranged in substantially parallel relation to said support and having one end pivotally and slidably connected with the support, a foot pedal horizontally rotatably adjustably connected with the other end of said lever and projecting beyond an adjacent side frame of the machine, and means for maintaining an adjusted position of the foot pedal to enable it to clear said adjacent side frame of the machine.

JOHN M. BECK. IVEY L. PARKER. 

